


Serpentine

by gay_for_rey1999



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alice is a Bitch, Betty tries to be a hardass, But shes just a softie, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, FP is trying really hard, Falling In Love, Jughead is a bean, New in Town Jughead, Serpent!Betty, Toni is the badass best friend, but theyre only enemies for like 5 minutes, but when have i ever not made him a bean, it doesn't get the M rating until like chapter 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-19 01:41:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14226336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_for_rey1999/pseuds/gay_for_rey1999
Summary: New in town Jughead Jones isn't afraid when Betty Cooper, heir to the Southside Serpents, tries to intimidate him. Instead, he sees a beautiful girl with layers on layers of hurt and insecurities. Will she let him get close enough to peel them back? Or will she push him away and build her wall even higher?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I've been stewing on this fic for AGES. It was like halfway done when I benched it for a bit to write Actions Speak Louder. I hope you enjoy this Serpent rendition of Betty. I had a blast writing this.

“Shit shit SHIT!” Jughead yelled as he scrambled to gather everything he needed for his first day at Southside High. He and his father moved from a few towns over after his affair. Gladys sent Jughead with him to ensure he didn't drown himself in whiskey. Over the past week of settling in to the new trailer, many arguments took place between father and son.

~  
“Why, dad? Why would you tear apart our family like this? First the drinking and then cheating? Just when I thought you were getting better, you let us down all over again.”

“You don't understand, Jughead!” That seemed to be FP’s only argument, and it was wearing on his last nerve. Jughead decided from then on to avoid interaction with his father as much as possible.  
~

Jughead ran out the door and down the street, making it to the principal's office just in time for the warning bell.

“Ah, Forsythe, I'm so glad you could finally join us,” the principal, Mr. Smith snarked.

“Jughead.”

“Excuse me?”

“I go by Jughead,” he mumbled.

“Well then, Jug Head, your peer mentor has been waiting patiently for you, just outside. Her name is Toni Topaz and she will help you settle in, show you around, the works. I hope you enjoy Southside, Mr. Jones. Do try to stay out of trouble.”

At his dismissal, Jughead stormed out the door, rather put out by the laissez-faire attitude of the school staff. His thoughts were interrupted by a short, thin girl with dark skin and bright pink hair. 

“I'm Toni, your peer mentor. I'm supposed to be showing you around.” She looked hopeful and carefree at the same time, and he momentarily was envious of the combination.

“Yeah that won't be necessary,” he tried to brush her off. “I don't like interacting with people, so if you could, like, draw me a map or something? That would be great.”

“Yeahh no can do, broody,” Toni insisted, walking backward to face him while they walked. “I'll get my ass handed to me on a silver platter if you're caught wandering around alone with a shitty hand drawn map.”

Jughead scoffed and readjusted his backpack on his shoulder. “Okay so where's my locker?”

\---

Somehow, walking through the halls with Toni seemed to put a target on his back. Everywhere he went, people in leather jackets were throwing things at him and yelling as he walked past. At the head of it all was a blonde girl with a devastatingly beautiful face. She made some sort of hand gestures to Toni and she sent it back, leaving Jughead even more confused. 

Toni never offered any explanation, and when she insisted on sitting together at lunch, Jughead put up a fight.

“Look, I don't want to sit with your gloomy ass any more than you want to sit with me, but unfortunately, we're kinda stuck in this predicament.”

“Alright, riddle me this,” he sighed, accepting his fate. “Who's the blonde in charge of everyone throwing things at me?”

Toni laughed at his description of her peers and leaned in closer. “That's Betty. Her mom runs the Serpents, and she's the heir. She's pretty much queen bee and my best friend. Don't tell anybody I said this, but she's a lot softer than she lets on. Last year my uncle threw me out when I told him that I'm bisexual, and she took me in, no questions asked. Sure, Serpents take care of their own, but Betty's special.”

Jughead took a moment to marinate on this information, absentmindedly shoving food into his mouth. He was broken from his reverie by the very blonde he and Toni had just been discussing.

“Who's the fresh meat?” She asked gruffly, taking the seat next to him and studying him closely. He swallowed his mouthful of food nervously as she looked him over. She was far too close for his liking and a faint flush was creeping up his neck.

“His name is Jughead, and he apparently hates people,” Toni answered with a firm smirk on her face. 

“You're a writer,” Betty said suddenly. “Your entire demeanor makes it so obvious. You hate people, dress like you're homeless, and observe everything. I've seen you between every class this morning. I've had my people on your case all day. Most people break within a few hours. You should join the school newspaper.”

“Okay, I don't know what kind of psychic powers you have to figure all that out, but I'm not joining anything until you get 'your people’ to leave me alone.” He added unnecessary emphasis on the words 'your people’ in hope of getting a rise out of her. It seemed to work, since her nostrils flared just enough to signify annoyance.

“You think this is a joke?” Her tone was low and dangerous. “I run a gang, Jar Head. I could have you torn apart with a simple command. I run this school and you would do well to remember that.”

“It's Jughead,” he shot back coolly.

“Did you not hear anything I just said to you?”

Jughead shrugged and took another bite of food, doing his best to arrange his body language as uncaring and rude. Betty stayed still for a moment, assessing the situation, before stalking off.

“Damn,” Toni commented. “Not many people aren't scared of her. You best watch yourself, Jones.”

\---

For the rest of the day, not a single person bothered Jughead. He knew he had cut right through all of Queen Betty's defenses and impressed her. He'd been bullied enough in his youth. He wouldn't stand for it now just because of some stupid gang hierarchy.

Because of this, he decided to drop in to the newspaper office, if only to see what Betty looked like when she wasn't leading a gang.

When he walked into the room, Jughead was shocked to see only Betty and Toni running the show. 

“You two are seriously understaffed,” he announced, causing the girls to jump. “What do you have for me?”

“That's it? You'll join?” Betty sounded amazed. 

“I was hesitant, but after you called off your goons and I saw just how pitiful this place is, I've decided.”

“You're welcome, by the way,” Betty's voice held a pointed lilt.

“I feel like it's a little unnecessary to thank somebody for redacting an order to belittle someone they've never met.”

Jughead’s eyes met Betty’s and he found them smoldering with such an intensity, he almost had to look away. Almost.

“Don't mind me while you two get lost in each other's eyes.” They had momentarily forgotten about Toni while they glared at each other. Thankfully, she was not one to let herself be forgotten and cut the tension that was rapidly building. 

\---

Jughead walked the three blocks to his trailer in silence, lost in thought about Betty Cooper. Her public image was harsh and cold, but it was far from the real her, even though he didn't even know the real her, just a less guarded version of her.

The first hour they spent together was awkward as Betty explained their code of conduct to him, as well as what his role as junior editor would entail. She gave him a long list of rules and regulations about what they could and couldn't publish. Articles concerning the drug epidemic were strictly banned, as well as those including gang dynamics and rivalries. 

“So basically, all we get is fluff pieces about sports and gossip?”

“Essentially, yes, but occasionally we get a good zinger. Our current publishing schedule calls for one finished newspaper every month, but if you're willing to put in the work, we could have it up to two in no time.”

One thing in particular really stuck to him after two hours in a room with Betty Cooper and Toni Topaz. They were intensely serious about their newspaper. “This is my ticket out of this hellhole,” Betty had said. It confused him greatly, but he ultimately came to the conclusion that she didn't want her mother's life for herself, something he could relate to on many levels.

When he opened the door to the trailer, he was surprised to see Lydia, his dad's mistress, lounging on the couch with FP.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Jughead asked angrily.

“Language,” FP scolded, throwing an arm around the surprised woman.

“I'm serious, dad. Why is she here? Why are you acting so normal, like the two of you aren't the reason I can't be with my sister?” He was so angry, he had to hold back tears. None of them expected such an explosive response from the boy and they sat in stunned silence for a moment.

“Things weren't right long before Lydia came around, boy. I need you to know that.” FP sounded surprisingly apologetic, but it did nothing to quell the fury in Jughead's heart. 

“Oh, you mean coming home every night and passing out in the floor. You have no idea how many times I had to tell Jellybean you weren't dead! Do you know how hard it is for a little girl to think her dad is dead? Once a week she would get hysterical that you wouldn't wake up.”

“I should go,” Lydia mumbled, moving to get up, but FP stopped her.

“You think I don't regret all of that? Why do you think I went to rehab? I wanted to be better for you, for her.” He was yelling now, sitting upright and looking furious. 

“Yeah and when you couldn't scar us anymore, you tore us apart. I would have happily stayed with Mom, but she sent me with you to make sure you didn't get yourself killed. My mother still loves you, and I'll never understand why, after all you've put us through.” Despite his harsh words, Jughead knew he could never leave his father. His broken, flawed father whom he still loved after all the harm he caused. 

FP was beyond words. Before he knew what was happening, he was on his feet walking toward his son. Jughead took a tentative step back, but mostly held his ground. They held eye contact for a long moment before FP pulled him in for a hug. 

“I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I'm so sorry.”

Jughead clutched his back and let the tears roll down his face. The desperation in his father's voice broke the dam and he sobbed into his shoulder. All he could muster was a choked “I know,” and somewhere in the back of his head, he registered Lydia excusing herself, leaving them to heal together. 

“Tell you what, kid,” FP said when they broke apart and both men had stopped crying. “I'm gonna run and get us some food from that diner on the other side of town. Sound good?” 

Jughead nodded and went to spread his homework out on the table. It was going to be a long night for the Jones men, but he knew they would come out on the other end better than they started.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I'm going to be posting a chapter a day since I've already written this whole story lol

After the disaster that was his first few days at Southside High, life seemed to be getting easier for Jughead. He knew it wouldn't last, but he might as well enjoy it

Writing on the newspaper with Betty and Toni was the most exciting thing he had done in a long time. He found himself looking forward to spending hour upon hour in the Red and Black office, hunched over articles with Betty. Toni flitted in and out, since she was the photographer and her presence was only required about once a week. 

Betty was still cold and withdrawn, despite how well they worked together. There were moments when Jughead could sense her guard coming down, but the moment he noticed, she would shrink back into herself. It made him sad to see such a bright, beautiful girl hiding herself, even in her own safe haven, and at times he felt guilty before remembering she invited him there. 

He opened the door eagerly, excited to spend the afternoon writing with Betty, but knew immediately that something was wrong. Betty, instead of typing frantically on her laptop, was hugging her knees and crying softly. He dropped his bag and rushed to her side, resting his hand on her shoulder. This action startled her and her head shot up as she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

“Oh, hey Jughead,” she tried to sound cheery. “What's up?” Never had Jughead ever heard Betty ask what was up, doubling his concern. 

“Betty, what's wrong?” He asked gently, stroking his thumb against the worn leather jacket she always wore. 

“Nothing's wrong,” she scoffed. “I'm fi-fine.” Her voice cracked and another bought of sobs took over. Jughead pulled her into his chest for a firm hug and held her as she cried. It broke his heart to see her so upset, though he wasn't sure why. He'd seen plenty of other people cry without wanting to save them from the world, so why was Betty any different?

He pushed his conflicted thoughts aside and continued to soothe the crying girl in his arms. “What's wrong?” He asked again, once her sobs had subsided to sniffles. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Betty pulled away from him slightly. “Sorry about your shirt,” she mumbled apologetically, nodding at the wet patch from her tears.

“It'll wash out,” he brushed her off, not wanting her to deflect. “What's bothering you so much? Is there any way I can help?”

“It's just my mom,” she sighed. “She's always on my ass to be the perfect leader, since I'm meant to take over the Serpents after her. But that's not the life I want for myself. I want to live in the city and write for The Times. I have dreams, and she wants me to stay here and be just like her, cold and ruthless.” She shook her head and scoffed again. “You must think this is all so stupid.”

“It's not stupid,” Jughead quickly reassured her. “Especially if it's bothering you this badly. You don't want your mother's life for yourself. If anybody would understand that, it's me. My father tore our family apart with alcoholism and infidelity and now I'm here to make sure he doesn't drink himself to death.”

Suddenly, Betty's posture straightened and a cold look glazed her eyes. “Thank you for comforting me, Jughead, but I have to go,” she rushed, moving to grab her backpack. In his shock, Jughead barely noticed the splash of red on her hand and almost didn't have time to grab her arm.

“Betty what's this?” He asked gently, unfurling her fingers and inspecting the bleeding indents on her palms. 

“Nothing,” she snapped, trying to tear her arm out of his grip, but he was stronger. 

“Sit down,” he commanded. When she didn't listen, he repeated himself. “I'm serious Betty. Sit down and let me clean them.”

“You don't have-”

“I know I don't have to,” he cut her off, rolling his eyes. “But you're hurt and I know how to treat cuts. So sit your pretty ass down and let me take care of you.” 

Shit. Did he just call her pretty? Jughead started to panic a little, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way. He shook his head slightly to clear it and moved to find the first aid kit. Of course Betty had one fully stocked sitting in the front if the room, so he immediately set to work.

“By the way,” he started, cringing at what he was about to say. “I didn't mean your ass is pretty, I meant you're pretty. I mean, I'm sure it is pretty, but I, uh, haven't looked at it or anything. Well I have, but not in, like, a creepy way. Shit this isn't helping.” 

While he was mentally berating himself, he didn't hear Betty's light chuckles until they escalated into honest to God laughter. 

“You're so cute,” she laughed, caressing his cheek with her newly bandaged hand. Before Jughead could say anything more to embarrass himself, Betty glanced at the clock behind him and swore. “I have to go. Thank you so much, Jughead. I'll see you tomorrow.” She dropped a featherlight kiss on his cheek and bolted out the door, leaving him frozen in place. 

“She said I'm cute,” he whispered to himself. “That's good, right? Cute.” 

He walked home in a daze, cheek still burning from where her lips had brushed his skin. He barely noticed his dad spread out on the couch, watching some cooking show as he deposited his backpack on the table.

“Uh oh,” FP’s voice rang out, snapping Jughead from his stupor. “I know that look. Somebody's in loOove.”

Jughead shot him a dirty look and FP threw his hands up in surrender. “All I'm saying is I looked the same way when I started falling for your mother.”

He expected to feel bitter at the mention of his parents’ relationship, but was surprisingly comforted by the fact that his dad had truly loved his mother. 

“I only left because I knew you all deserved better,” the older man whispered. “I didn't think she'd strand you here with me, but I'm glad we have each other.”

“Me too, dad.” Jughead smiled for what felt like the millionth time today before retiring to his room to tackle his homework before dinner.

\---

“Elizabeth, where have you been?” Betty groaned internally, turning to face her seething mother.

“I told you this morning, I had a newspaper thing, just like every single day of the week,” she huffed, storming up the stairs and slamming her bedroom door. 

“Get down here this instant, young lady. That is no way to talk to your mother. How are you going to lead a gang if you can't even treat your mother with respect.”

“Maybe I don't want to lead your stupid gang,” Betty hollered back down the stairs. 

Alice took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She climbed the stairs calmly and knocked gently on her daughter's door.

“Betty may I please come in? I'm sorry I yelled.” The door opened and a tearstained Betty looked back at her.

“Betty, I know this isn't what you want, but it's what this town needs from you. What I need from you. I just hope you don't resent me for pushing you toward this.” Betty nodded and tried to close her door, but Alice stopped her.

“What happened to your hands? Are you digging in again? Should I make another appointment?”

“Call down, mom. It was a one time slip up. My, uh- my friend noticed and patched me up. One person noticing was enough to stop it again.” Betty hated going to the psychiatrist. He was a prescription-happy quack who loved shoving pills down her throat, pills she didn't even need.

“Okay, but let me know. We can't have our Serpent Princess breaking down, can we?”

“No we can't,” Betty gritted out, before finally succeeding in closing the door. She dropped face first onto her bed, and her thoughts wandered to Jughead. She started thinking about his sweet smile and bright eyes, and she adorably sheepish expression he wore earlier as he talked himself into a hole. 

Oh no. Was she getting feelings? The Serpent Princess couldn't catch feelings. It would ruin the reputation she and her mother had been cultivating for years. 

But wouldn't Jughead be worth it all?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all the wonderful comments you've been leaving ❤️❤️❤️ every single one if them puts a huge smile on my face :)

Despite her conclusion that falling for Jughead would be well worth any risk, it was easier said than done. Betty was asking herself to drop years of self protective tendencies and emotional isolation. It definitely wasn't an overnight kind of change.

Jughead seemed especially put out over the next few days. Every time she pulled away, he cringed slightly. Betty convinced herself that it was because he wanted to be her friend. After all, she couldn't stake her hopes too high. 

Finally, after a week and a half of push-and-pull of candor and guardedness, he snapped.

“Okay, Betty, what's going on?” He sighed after a conversation about upcoming articles where he was complimenting her on her writing. She deflected instinctively, and it definitely didn't escape Jughead's eagle eye.

“Well the football game on Friday needs to be covered. It's the big homecoming match.”

“No, I mean between us. Ever since that day, you've been going back and forth from chatty and relaxed to tight lipped and tense, all at the drop of a hat. One moment you're telling me all about your mom and how you resent her, or how excited you are about your favorite band releasing a new album, and the next you're rushing out and pretending you never said anything. What's going on?”

Betty had no doubt what he meant by “that day.” The day he saw her ugly. The day he was her temporary rock. The day she began to fall.

She heaved a deep sigh and reached for his hand. Ignoring the electricity she felt from their contact, she began to explain herself. “I want to preface this by saying I'm not trying to make excuses, I just want to offer an explanation.” Jughead nodded and took her other hand while her stomach did a backflip. “I obviously have a lot of intimacy issues, but ever since that day, when you saw the darkest, ugliest part of me, and still wanted to be my friend, I told myself to stop being so guarded and let good things happen to me. And Jughead, you're the best that's happened in a very long time.”

“I'm so glad, Betts.” She smiled at the nickname. “I hate seeing you get so passionate about something, seeing the fire in your eyes, and then watching it go out like a bucket of water was dropped on it. I just want to see you happy.”

“Thank you, Juggie. That means a lot to me, to have your support. And please know that you have mine as well, even if I'm not so good at showing it. I'll always listen to you.”

Suddenly, he looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. “What is it?” She asked, concerned by his sudden change in mood. No wonder he was so worried about her all the time.

“This may sound kinda stupid, but, uh, do you maybe want to listen to me while I ask you to the homecoming dance?”

A hurricane of different reactions raged inside her at the innocent question. The first was fear, fear of letting him in further. The second was anxiety at the prospect of actually going to the dance, surrounded by sweaty people and dancing to crappy music that was far too loud. The third, however, was the most positive, and that was excitement at the fact that he, Jughead Jones, wanted to take her, Betty Cooper, future Queen of the Snakes, to the homecoming dance. 

Apparently she paused for too long, and Jughead lost his nerve.

“Never mind,” he rushed. “It was a stupid idea.” He turned to leave, and Betty truly started to panic. 

“No, wait, Juggie!” She grabbed his hand again. “It's just you surprised me, in a good way, I swear, but I really hate dances. Maybe we could go out to dinner instead?” Her voice trailed off, getting smaller with each word out of her mouth, but Jughead gave her a huge grin and nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, okay, dinner! I can, uh, pick you up in my dad's truck. And I'll find somewhere. All you have to do is look fabulous, which you always do because you're gorgeous, and I'll take care of everything else.” 

He was rambling, and damn, if it wasn't the cutest thing Betty had ever seen. Plus, he called her gorgeous. An unfamiliar blush rose onto her cheeks, and she touched the flushed skin lightly. She smiled shyly at him as he collected his things and bid her farewell, no doubt headed home to his father.

Ignoring the looming deadline of the homecoming article, Betty pulled up Pinterest on her laptop and began browsing outfits. She wanted to look her absolute best for their date on Saturday.

\---

“Hey, dad can I borrow the truck Saturday night?” Jughead called out the moment he opened the door. He was still high on the fact that he asked Betty Cooper on a date. 

FP’s response came from the couch. “Why? You got a hot date?”

“Actually, yeah,” he answered shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked into the living room. This managed to tear his father's attention from the football game on the TV. 

“Ooooh! What's her name? Tell me everything.”

“Okay, first of all,” Jughead ticked one of his fingers, “you sound like a PTA mom, circa Amy Poehler in Mean Girls. Second, her name is Betty and I work with her on the newspaper. That's all you need to know.”

He turned to go to his room, but was stopped when FP grabbed his arm. 

“Not so fast, Junior.” Jughead wrinkled his nose at the nickname. He hated being called Junior almost as much as his real name. “If you're taking my truck, you gotta humor me a little.”

Jughead groaned and sagged a little in displeasure, before throwing his hands up. “Fine! What do you want to know?”

“Betty, huh? She got a last name?”

“Cooper, but I don't see why that's important.”

“Cooper? As in Alice Cooper? Queen of the Serpents?”

“Yes,” he answered hesitantly, half expecting FP to blow up.

“No. I won't allow it. Alice is the human incarnation of Satan. Her daughter is no doubt the same way. I won't let you fall prey to that too.”

Too? Jughead was equal parts confused and angry. 

“Betty is nothing like her mother,” he snapped. “She is kind and good and wonderful. Just because you have some weird history with her horrible mother, doesn't mean you can make assumptions about Betty.”

It was FP's turn to throw his hands up in mock surrender. 

“You know what? Fine, take the truck. Take her out somewhere nice. I can't protect you from heartbreak. Word of advice, though? Keep an eye out for that skeevy, conniving bitch she calls her mother.”

“Whatever, dad,” Jughead huffed before finally retreating to his bedroom. He checked his phone once he flopped onto his bed and smiled at the screen.

Betty: can't wait till Saturday :)

Jughead: Me neither (:

Betty: why do you your smileys backward? teehee

Jughead: I do what I want

Jughead: btw dress kinda fancy on Saturday I'm gonna take you somewhere nice

Betty: now I really can't wait ;)

They chatted back and forth and before long, any anger at his father had been completely replaced by excitement for his date with a certain blonde as he googled restaurants like his life depended on it

He was interrupted by a knock on his door. “Yeah, dad?” He called, and it opened. 

“Listen, kid,” he sighed heavily. “I'm sorry for reacting like that. But I know a guy at this nice restaurant downtown. If you want, I can let him know you're coming and he'll get you a real steep discount.”

Jughead sat up excitedly. “That sounds amazing, dad. Thanks!”

“Don't mention it, kiddo.” They chatted a bit longer, ironing out details, and FP left him to the rest of his research. He was going to give Betty the best date he could.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first date!!!! So the restaurant mentioned is actually in Chicago. I went there for senior prom, and it's GORGEOUS!!! also I made the chapter count smaller bc I just couldn't get the final chapter written, but it ends at a good spot :)

Betty flitted around her room excitedly as she got ready for her date with Jughead. She used to laugh at girls who took half the day to get ready, but now she understood. The mental list of things she wanted to do was long, and Jughead told her to be ready at 6, so she started her preparation at 2 after a shower and lunch. 

As far as her mother was concerned, Betty was going to the dance with Toni for a girls night. The last thing she needed was Alice Cooper breathing down Jughead's neck trying to recruit him. He deserved better.

Before she knew it, 5 o'clock rolled around and she still hadn't put on her dress and shoes, or put her essentials in her purse. On principal, she always carried pepper spray and her stiletto knife, and she added makeup for touch ups, her wallet, and keys. It was a wonderful feat that so many things could fit in such a small purse. 

Once her purse was ready, she shimmied into her dress: a body-hugging, long sleeved, green-blue, sequined number that reached mid thigh. Betty paired the dress with simple black pumps and a smokey eye, with a pop of kiss-proof red lipstick, just in case. 

Betty only wished she could ask Toni’s opinion on her ensemble, but Toni didn't know anything about their date tonight. She was just too nosey. She loved her pink-haired friend like a sister, but she needed to maintain her boundaries. If the night ended well, then maybe she could share a few details.

\---

Jughead’s mouth felt dryer than his sense of humor as he walked up to Betty's front door with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. She assured him her mother wouldn't be around, but he still dreaded meeting the infamous ice queen. He was a few minutes early, and he spent that time pacing in front of the door and checking his phone every other second. Finally, when the screen read 6:00 he took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Betty opened the door almost immediately, and Jughead choked on his breath. She was an absolute vision, looking like a mermaid queen- no, an enchanting siren- with her shimmering dress and bright red lips. 

“Yo-you look absolutely stunning,” he stammered, and she gave him a shy smile.

“Are those for me?” She asked, nodding to the bouquet in his arms.

“Oh! Yes, I hope you like poppies.” He thrusted the flowers at her and she giggled at his awkwardness.

“I adore poppies,” she beamed. “Thank you so much. I should put them in water, would you like to come in?”

Jughead hesitated before swallowing his anxiety and following her through the threshold. Inside the house was shabby but tidy, a true Southside luxury home. There was a set of stairs leading to the second floor and another leading to the basement. 

“It's not much, but it's home, I guess.” Betty's voice cut through his observations as she raised her arms in a presentational manner. 

“Certainly beats the trailer park,” Jughead chuckled. He watched as Betty trimmed the stems of the flowers and placed them in a glass. Romantic bouquets clearly weren't a common occurrence in the Cooper household, and Jughead made a mental note to remedy that.

“Shall we?” She gestured toward the door once all the delicate blooms were arranged, and Jughead held out his arm for her to latch on. She giggled and blushed a little before looping her arm with his as they made their way to the old beat up Ford.

Trying his best to make a good impression, he opened her door for her and offered his hand for leverage. She slid into the passenger side and Jughead hurried around the front of the truck to the driver's side and started the car.

“It's going to be a bit of a drive, we're going downtown,” he explained sheepishly. “We're having Hispanic food.”

“Hispanic food? You mean like Mexican?” Betty sounded confused. Growing up on the Southside hadn't allowed much cultural exploration, especially in food.

“Kind of. The term Hispanic refers to Spanish speaking countries. There are different dishes from South and Central America, Mexico, and Spain, all sort of fused together. I went there once as a kid, before my dad started drinking all our money away, and it was incredible. Just wait, you're going to love it.”

“I can't wait, Juggie,” Betty sighed as she scooted down the bench seat and rested her hand on his knee. Jughead turned up the old radio, which held his favorite Zeppelin cassette, and the soft tune of his favorite song floated peacefully around the cab.

\---

When they pulled up to the restaurant, Carnivale, Betty gasped. 

“Juggie, this place is really nice. I've always wanted to come here, but it's so expensive. This is too much.”

“My dad knows the owner here,” Jughead explained. “He works on the building all the time and the owner offered him an amazing deal on the menu. My dad just called and told him to expect us, so everything is taken care of.” He assured her taking her hand softly.

He pulled into an open parking spot, and ignored several dirty looks from other diners as he manually locked both doors of his father's clunky old car. Ever the gentleman, Jughead opened the door for her and pulled out her chair once they arrived at their table. The decorations was unlike Betty had ever seen. The walls were all vibrant colors with brightly colored tapestries and paintings adorning them. The ceiling was home to a gorgeous stained glass faux skylight, and she felt as if she had walked into the streets of Rio de Janeiro during Mardi Gras. 

“The cucumber lemonade here is delicious,” he commented as they looked over their menus. Betty was a little overwhelmed by all the options in front of her eyes, and they all sounded so good. In the end, Jughead ordered the cucumber lemonade and Chifa Baby Back Ribs, while Betty got strawberry lemonade and the salmon entree with promises to trade bites. 

It was so surreal to Betty, princess of the Southside, to be sitting in a fancy restaurant with a sweet boy, offering to share bites of their meals. It was oddly domestic, which freaked her out a little. 

Jughead must have somehow realized she was retracting into herself again and reached across the table to rest his hand atop hers. She absentmindedly moved to tangle their fingers together, and smiled when he began rubbing small circles into her skin with his thumb.

“What's wrong, hon?” _Hon. _The nickname made Betty's heart flutter. She looked up from their connected hands and found concern in his eyes.__

__“Nothing,” she half-scoffed at herself. “Everything is wonderful. It's just so _domestic. _Here I am, the heir to the gang that haunts my side of town, and I'm sitting here on a first date in a fancy restaurant with a really cute boy. It's all so intimate, but it's perfect.”___ _

____“I'm so glad,” he spoke softly. “I'm so happy I get to be here with you. I gotta admit, Betts, I'm crazy about you.”_ _ _ _

____“I'm pretty crazy about you, too,” she said through her smile before it suddenly fell. “But I do need to tell you that if we're going to be, you know… together, you need to know that bad things could easily happen to you. I understand if you don't think I'm worth that risk. I don't even think I'm worth that risk. But yeah, you could get seriously hurt.”_ _ _ _

____Jughead cut her off by grabbing her other hand and entwining their fingers again. “I don't care,” he breathed. “I don't care what could happen. I just want to be with you, Betty.”_ _ _ _

____“I want to be with you, too, Jughead.”_ _ _ _

____“So does this mean we're together now? Like boyfriend/girlfriend and stuff?”_ _ _ _

____“If-if that's what you want.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, believe me, Ms. Cooper, I want very much.” Betty let out a sweet laugh at her newly declared boyfriend's goofiness as he smiled warmly at her. Their moment was cut short, however, by the arrival of their food. Betty actually moaned aloud at the smell, her stomach having been ready to collapse in on itself._ _ _ _

____Dinner passed quickly as they swapped bites of food and chatted about nothing and everything. It was truly the perfect date, and the only way Betty thought it could get better was if he kissed her at the end._ _ _ _

____When the waiter asked them if they wanted to take a look at the dessert menu or receive their check, Jughead seemed very conflicted._ _ _ _

____“What do you think, honey?” He asked sweetly, making Betty's stomach swoop violently._ _ _ _

____“Let's take a gander,” she answered, knowing Jughead's insatiable appetite would regret not ordering. They wound up with Organic house-spun cotton candy, paired with old style kettle corn. The downy sweet melted in her mouth so quickly, she knew there was something truly special about the recipe. The kettle corn was crunchy and sweet and salty, just how God intended it to be, and she knew her date was in actual heaven with such delicious food._ _ _ _

____They finally paid the bill around 10:00 and Betty insisted she leave the tip for the waiter. As they walked to the car, Betty began to shiver in the cool September air. Jughead, who had been walking with his hand on the small of her back, immediately shed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders._ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Juggie,” she sighed contentedly as she worked her arms into the sleeves. When they finally reached the car, Jughead paused for a moment with his hand on the passenger door handle. Before Betty knew what was happening, his lips were on hers in a short, sweet kiss._ _ _ _

____He pulled away far too quickly, and Betty chased his mouth with her own. Jughead cupped her cheek gently and returned the kiss. This time, they mutually broke apart for air and he rested his forehead against hers._ _ _ _

____Slow smiles spread across both their faces as the looked into each other's eyes. “I've wanted to do that for ages,” he admitted shyly before kissing her again. This third kiss was just as sweet as the first two. There was no burning fire because there was no rush, but rather a soothing hum of electricity as their bodies gravitated together._ _ _ _

____When Jughead's tongue flicked against her lips, Betty opened like a rose to welcome him in. They kissed lazily for an unknown amount of time, taking the time to explore each other's mouths. Betty's hands made their way around his neck and into his soft black hair. Jughead's were wrapped around her waist, keeping her close. She could feel him hardening against her as they continued to kiss, but was intensely grateful when he didn't act on it, seemingly content just to kiss her in the parking lot._ _ _ _

____Finally, they seemed to realize the lateness of the hour, and Jughead helped her into the car. Again, she scooted closer to him on the bench, this time resting her head on his shoulder, fingers intertwined as he drove one handed._ _ _ _

____“Is your mom going to be worried?” He asked when they were about 10 minutes from Riverdale._ _ _ _

____“She won't even be home,” Betty answered in a relieved tone. “She won't be able to kill my mood.”_ _ _ _

____When Betty finally got home, it was past 11, and Jughead walked her to the front door. As she rummaged in her purse for her keys, she spoke up._ _ _ _

____“I had such a great time tonight, Juggie. Thank you so much for the best first date a girl could ask for.” She leaned up to peck him on the lips as she turned the key. “I get to plan the next date.”_ _ _ _

____“I definitely won't object to that,” Jughead chuckled before stealing one final kiss before she disappeared into the house._ _ _ _

____\---_ _ _ _

____“Dad!” Jughead startled at the sight if his father still awake on the couch. “What are you doing up?”_ _ _ _

____“Wanted to see how your date went,” he answered flippantly._ _ _ _

____“It was, uh, really good. Thanks again for letting me use your truck. And for the whole dinner thing.”_ _ _ _

____“Of course, son. I can tell by your face you're already so serious about her. I may not approve, but I'm glad to see you happy.”_ _ _ _

____“Thanks, I guess.”_ _ _ _

____The tension was a little thick until FP laughed at his son. “So you kissed her?” he grilled teasingly._ _ _ _

____“A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell,” he replied sassily. “That was more incriminating than deflective, wasn't it?”_ _ _ _

____“And there's some lipstick on your face, too. You need to up your stealth game, boy. Get a better poker face,” the older man advised. “But don't keep how you feel a secret from your girl. That was my first mistake with your mother, and I don't want to see you repeat it.”_ _ _ _

____“Thanks, dad. Listen, I'm exhausted so I'm gonna sleep for once. Good night.”_ _ _ _

____“Night, kiddo,” FP called after him before making his way into his own bed._ _ _ _

____Jughead stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and flopped onto his bed. He quickly crawled under the covers and found himself touching his lips over and over, remembering how it felt to kiss Betty Cooper. He fell asleep on his side, hugging his extra pillow to his chest and wishing it was her._ _ _ _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly shocked at the wonderful reviews you guys have been giving me!!!! I stopped writing this story after this chapter to write Actions Speak Louder, so you'll probably notice a shift in mood and tone lmao oops

When Betty walked into the newspaper office Monday morning, the last thing she expected was to see Toni sitting on her desk, waiting for her. 

“Uh, hey Toni,” Betty stammered. “W-what’s up? Do you need something?”

“Yeah, actually,” Toni answered, hopping off the desk and approaching her slowly. “I need to know why my best friend went on a date with the weirdo and didn't tell me about it?”

“How do you know about that?” Betty knew there was no sense in denying anything, Toni could tell in an instant when she lied. 

“Well your mom came up to me at the Wyrm telling me I just _had _to send her homecoming pictures of the two of us, and she was _so _disappointed she wouldn't be able to see us all dressed up. Anyway, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together and figure out you had a date.”____

____“Damn, you're good,” Betty scoffed. “And it obviously wasn't hard to guess who I was with. I'm sorry, Toni. I was planning to tell you about it today.”_ _ _ _

____“So it went well?” Her smirk was evident, even in her voice and it annoyed Betty just how well Toni knew her._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, it really did,” she answered shyly. “We're together now.”_ _ _ _

____“Details, Cooper. I need details! Where did he take you? What did he wear? What did you wear? Did you kiss? Did you bang? He looks like he'd be good with his fingers, if you know what I mean.” She was suddenly an endless fountain of questions Betty didn't really want to answer, so she finally cut her off._ _ _ _

____“We went to a nice place downtown, he dressed up, I dressed up, we kissed. No more questions.”_ _ _ _

____“Fiiine,” Toni huffed. “I guess I'll have to resort to other sources.” At that, she strolled out if the room, and Betty rolled her eyes. She had half a mind to warn Jughead about Hurricane Topaz, but decided against it. It would be fun to watch him squirm under her best friend's questioning._ _ _ _

____\---_ _ _ _

____Jughead floated through the morning in a daze. He was still in disbelief that he kissed Betty, and furthermore, that she was now his girlfriend._ _ _ _

____He walked up behind her, where she was retrieving her lunch from her locker, and slid his hands around her waist. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he pecked her cheek and whispered, “Hello, gorgeous.”_ _ _ _

____Betty jumped in surprise before turning her head to capture his lips in a quick peck._ _ _ _

____“Mmm I missed you this morning,” she whispered back as they set off to the cafeteria. “I hate that we don't have any morning classes together.”_ _ _ _

____“Me too, baby,” he sighed, pressing an innocent kiss to her temple. Now that they were together, Jughead didn't want to miss a single opportunity for physical affection. He texted Betty about this over the weekend, wanting to make sure she wasn't anti-PDA_ _ _ _

____~_ _ _ _

____Jughead: So I'm a total PDA kinda guy hope that won't cramp your badass style_ _ _ _

____Jughead: Not like making out in the halls but like forehead kisses and hand holding_ _ _ _

____Betty: Don't worry, everybody knows I can kick their ass, regardless of the cute and affectionate boy on my arm_ _ _ _

____Betty: Although I wouldn't say no to making out in the halls ;)_ _ _ _

____Jughead:____


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where I started writing again after ASL. I really hope there's no noticeable change in voice or whatever but if there is, there's an explanation haha

As the weeks went by, Betty found herself truly starting to fall for Jughead Jones. As they grew closer, she learned so much about him, and surprised herself by opening up more and more. As much as she was looking forward to it, Betty kept having to reschedule their second date, due to Serpent duties, and he was nothing but patient and understanding. 

But truthfully, the Serpent duties she claimed weren’t important at all. Her mom was still looking to recruit him, and postponing their date was the only way she could think to prevent Jughead from having to meet her mother. Ever since it was revealed that they were dating, Alice was always at home. But this weekend she was going on an out of town run to get some bike parts, and Betty was going to have a good date with her boyfriend.

“Hey babe,” she chirped as Jughead met her with a kiss at her locker before lunch. “My mom is going to be out of town this weekend. Do you wanna finally have that date I’ve been planning?”

“That sounds great, Betts. Just give me a time and a place.”

“Saturday at 5, my place,” she said immediately. “Wear something comfy. We’re staying in and watching movies.”

“So you won’t judge me if I show up in my ratty old sweatpants?” he asked, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. 

“I think I would judge you if you didn’t,” she giggled, and pecked his cheek. 

\---

Betty was waiting nervously for Jughead to arrive. Pop’s carryout was already on the coffee table in the living room, and Netflix was pulled up on the screen. Blankets were draped over the back of the couch, and a box of Orville Redenbacher sat on the kitchen counter along with Milk Duds and Twizzlers, the classic movie snacks.

A knock sounded at the front door, and she almost tripped over her feet to answer it. She threw open the door, and grinned at the sight of Jughead. He seemed to have similar ideas about food, and had a large bag of Chinese takeout in one hand. In the other, he held a small bouquet of flowers, and she could tell they were from the local Trader Joe’s. He greeted her with a peck on her lips, before saying, “Where can I put all this?”

“Juggie, you didn’t have to do any of this,” she sighed exasperatedly. “I told you I was planning this date. There are burgers from Pop’s in the living room already.”

“I know, baby, but I didn’t want to show up empty handed.” Jughead shrugged and set the bulging plastic bag on the table next to the Pop’s bag. “And the flowers are because you deserve flowers always.”

Betty set the bouquet on the kitchen counter and walked over to wrap her arms around his neck. She kissed him deeply, sighing as his hands took position on her hips and pulled her closer. When they broke apart, her eyes were shining happily.

“You’re too sweet,” she said softly, kissing him one more time before tending to the flowers she abandoned. She called from the kitchen, “Make yourself comfortable, Jug. I’ll get chopsticks and plates on my way back in.”

Betty walked into the living room to find Jughead halfway done with his burger, snuggled up with a blanket and browsing through the horror section on Netflix. “Horror?” she asked with a knowing grin. “Hoping I’ll get scared and snuggle up extra close?”

“Maybe,” he teased, smiling sheepishly, and Betty knew that was definitely his objective. She laughed and settled down beside him, reaching for the box labelled Orange Chicken as well as her burger, which was still wrapped in foil. Deciding to disregard the plates entirely, she sat back with the box and the chopsticks, devouring half the chicken.

Jughead took the box from her hands, wordlessly telling her to save some for him, and she tucked into the burger, moaning at the deliciously greasy beef. They had settled on a cheesy looking horror movie that neither of them were very interested in. As soon as they had eaten their fill, Betty rested her head on his shoulder, and Jughead moved his arm to wrap around her slender frame. His fingers ran through the hair that fell softly around her shoulders. 

When the movie was nearing the end of its horrible story line, his movements stopped and Betty looked up, confused. Her gaze was met with his own, and he was smiling softly at her. 

“What?” she asked defensively. She was feeling a little vulnerable. 

“Nothing, you’re just so beautiful,” he soothed. “And I love being one of the few people to see you like this, so relaxed and carefree. It makes me feel special.”

“You are special,” she whispered shyly. “I- I really care about you, Jughead.” Jughead smiled again and leaned down to kiss her. Betty met his lips eagerly, deepening the kiss right away. His free hand came to rest on her knee as he leaned further into her space. One of her arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him in. The other moved up to cup his face briefly, before tangling her fingers in his hair. 

They kissed for a long while, completely lost in each other’s embrace. Neither of them seemed to notice that the cheesy movie had ended, and the credits had long since stopped rolling. The only sounds filling the room now were heavy breathing and lips moving fervently against each other. Finally, Jughead pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. 

“You’re such a good kisser,” he panted, smiling to himself. Before she could respond, he took her lips again. Betty took initiative and nipped at his bottom lip. He groaned and returned the action, pulling her closer against him. 

Betty had just moved to straddle him, when the front door burst open and her mom came stomping in the door. The teenagers jumped apart, and Betty scrambled to get off his lap. 

“Shit,” she whispered, just as Alice called out, “Betty? Are you home?”

“In here, mom,” she answered, still a little out of breath. Jughead looked equally terrified and confused. 

“I thought you said she was out of town,” he hissed between his teeth, eyes wide with panic. 

“She was,” she shot back. “I don’t know why she’s here.”

Alice turned the corner and let out a surprised noise at the boy sitting on her couch. “Oh, hello Jughead. I didn’t know you were here.” She sat down on the armchair closest to him. “Lovely to meet you, I’m Alice Cooper.” She stuck her hand out and Jughead shook it, eager to make a good impression on his girlfriend’s mother. “I’ve hardly heard a thing about you. Betty is so tight lipped about her personal life. Tell me about yourself!”

“Mom, we were kind of in the middle of something here,” Betty muttered, giving her mom a pointed look. 

“Ah, yes, the urgent matter of choosing a movie to play in the background while you make out.” They both blushed. “That can wait, Elizabeth. I’m dying to get to know your boyfriend.” 

Jughead swallowed uncomfortably before saying, “Uh, what do you want to know?”

Betty reached out and took his hand, trying to offer some sort of comfort as he braced himself for Alice’s interrogation. 

“What is your dad up to these days? Did he ever tell you about his time in the Serpents?” Betty rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where her mother was going. 

“Uh, no, I can’t say he ever has,” he stumbled. “I didn’t know he was a Serpent until recently.”

“Oh, FP was my right hand man!” Alice chirped. “We did everything side by side. I fully expected him to continue with me, but he vanished after college. Just gone, without a trace. I do hope you won’t break my daughter’s heart like that.”

“Oh, my god mom!” Betty burst out. “Did you and Jughead’s dad-”

“Of course not, Elizabeth,” she snapped. “So Jughead, I know you are getting very close to my daughter, and I want you to know that I fully expect any suitors to be Serpent members who have gone through initiation. When do you want to start yours?”

Jughead spluttered at how forward she was. Betty had warned him that she would try to recruit him, and urged him not to give into her. She held onto his hand tighter, silently pleading with him to ignore her controlling mother. 

“I'm, uh, I don't know, Mrs Cooper. I'm really trying to focus on school right now, and-”

“Oh believe me, Serpent duties don't interfere with school at all,” Alice interjected. “And I know the two of you haven't spent much time together outside of that pet project you call a newspaper. Just think, you'll see her much more often when you join.”

Her confidence in her ability to recruit Jughead was wearing on Betty's nerves. And what was worse, she could see the gears turning in her boyfriend's head as he considered Alice's argument. All she had wanted was a night as a typical high school student, making out with her boyfriend. Why couldn't anything happen the way she wanted it to?

“Mom, can you _please _leave us to finish our date?” She was one step away from begging her to leave. To her surprise, Alice threw her hands in the air and stood up.__

__“No funny business, you two. I mean it,” she called behind her as she walked toward the stairs. “I'll know if you get up to anything.” And then she was gone, letting the young couple get back to their night._ _

__“I'm sorry about that, Juggie,” Betty whispered, leaning on his shoulder in relief and embarrassment._ _

__“It's okay, Betts,” he replied softly, his hand coming up to stroke her hair. “She made some pretty good points, if you ask me.”_ _

__“What do you mean? She just asked you to join a gang. A _gang, _Jughead.” She had no idea how could possibly perceive that as a good idea.___ _

____“But then I could be closer to you,” he countered. “I want to be with you, Betty. I know we haven't been together very long, but I really enjoy spending time with you.”_ _ _ _

____The way he looked into her eyes was so honest and open, and Betty heaved a long sigh before reaching up to cup his cheek. “Please, don't rush into this kind of decision. If you're seriously considering, think on it more. Once you do this, you can't undo it, and I don't want you to regret. Promise me you'll think carefully about this.”_ _ _ _

____“I promise, Betty,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her. She responded eagerly, her lips meeting his halfway in between. By the time they pulled apart, Betty was on his lap again, and she couldn't quite recall how that happened. Jughead's kisses had a way of making her forget about everything else, even her own body apparently._ _ _ _

____They kissed awhile longer, savoring the feeling of being so close together, and Jughead had to pry himself away._ _ _ _

____“I gotta get home,” he panted between kisses. “My dad-”_ _ _ _

____Betty silenced him with one last kiss, and she made it count. Her entire body sagged into his, and Jughead groaned against her lips. He was hard beneath her, and he had been for a while, but she still wasn't ready to explore that area of their relationship and he didn't push her toward it._ _ _ _

____Finally, she climbed off his lap and held out her hand to pull him up. He straightened up and helped her clean up the mess they made. Betty gave him a goodnight peck, and she could tell he wanted nothing more than to give her a much more thorough kiss._ _ _ _

____“Good night,” she whispered, ushering him out the door with the leftover Chinese food._ _ _ _

____“Good night, baby,” he answered, sneaking a kiss to her forehead before slipping out the front door._ _ _ _

____Betty went to bed that night with an odd mixture of dread and giddiness swirling in her stomach. On one hand, Jughead seemed totally serious about them, and it made her heart sing. On the other, he wanted to undergo Serpent initiation in order to be with her._ _ _ _

____It was a hard pill to swallow, but she knew she had to let him make the choice for himself. And the worst part was that she hoped for her own selfish reasons that he would join them. After a while, she decided it was time to shut off her brain, and she rolled over and went to sleep_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to post a one shot tomorrow as well ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: Between the ////// and \\\\\\\\\\\ is a trigger warning. Betty gets jumped and deals with her assailants. There is a scene a little after where she recaps for Jughead

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
Betty walked confidently down the street. It was night, but the Serpent Princess was well armed with pepper spray and a knife, lest somebody attack her. She was unprepared, however, for a couple of Northside thugs ambushing her. 

Two large boys in blue and yellow letterman jackets appeared seemingly out of thin air and boxed her in, one in front and one behind. Betty immediately uncapped her pepper spray and pulled out her sheathed knife, wielding one in each hand. The smaller of the two boys she recognized as Chuck Clayton, a known abuser of women. Betty pepper sprayed him right away, not wanting to become another statistic, and he clutched his face in agony, sinking to his knees. She delivered a hard kick between his legs, and he crumpled to the ground in fetal position. In her distraction, the other boy came up behind her and put her in a headlock.

She elbowed him in the gut as hard as she could. She didn't want to resort to her knife right away, and using pepper spray in such close proximity was flat out stupid, but he didn’t let go. She thrashed and turned, hoping to throw him off, but the mountain of a teenager held on tighter, and punched her hard in the side of the head, causing black spots to appear in her vision. He hit her again, this time hitting her nose and she was sure it was broken, having heard a loud crunch. 

“You think you’re so tough, don’t you?” he jeered. “You’re like a fish on a line, flopping around with no chance of escape.”

That’s when Betty bit his arm, and kicked back, hoping to score between his legs as well. Unfortunately, he seemed to be wearing a protective cup, and she briefly registered that as a smart call on his account, before she elbowed his gut again. She thrashed wildly, still not wanting to use her knife, but when his free hand grabbed her ass, she decided enough was enough. 

She flicked out the blade with the push of a button, and the boy stopped laughing when he heard it click into place. She brought the knife up to his arm around her neck and sliced the skin. It wasn’t a deep cut, but the boy howled in pain. He released her immediately to assess the damage, and Betty slipped out of his reach, and spraying him as well. She stomped on his crotch and took great pleasure when she heard the plastic cup splinter before running off as fast as she could

The blood from her nose was streaming thickly down her face, and her ear was ringing from the first punch. She knew better than to call the police; she was a known gang member, and nobody would believe that she was jumped in her own territory. Betty knew she couldn’t go directly home in this state. Her mother would have a conniption fit and send out for revenge, and the last thing the Southside needed was a blood war. So instead of turning down her street, she kept going until she reached the trailer park. Realizing she didn’t know which one was Jughead’s, she called him.   
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

He picked up on the second ring, and his voice was full of concern when he heard her speak. She was out of breath, and her surely broken nose was hindering her speech.

“What’s your address. I need you now.” There wasn’t time for any preamble. If people saw her lurking in the trailer park for too long, face dripping in blood, they would assume there was trouble

He gave her the unit of his trailer, and she found it quickly. She didn’t bother to knock, and burst through the front door. Jughead was lounging on the couch with his father, whom Betty had yet to meet officially. When he caught sight of her face, he jumped up urgently.

“What happened to you, baby?” he demanded, rooting through the kitchen to find a rag of some sort.

“Got jumped,” she bit out shortly, ignoring the glare Jughead’s father was sending her way. “Took care of them, though.”

“Took care of them?” He sounded scared, and she was suddenly worried he wouldn’t want to be with her if he knew what she was capable of.

“You know what,” Betty said suddenly. “I’m sorry I came here. I’ll just take care of myself at home.”

She turned to leave, but was stopped by Jughead’s hand circled around her wrist. “Don’t leave, Betts,” he pleaded, eyes wide with worry. “Let me clean you up.” She let him drag her to the tiny bathroom, where he ran the rag he found under the water. “Tell me what happened, Betty,” he soothed, ringing out the extra water and dabbing at the blood on her face. 

“Two goons from the Northside jumped me. I pepper sprayed the first one right away, he’s well known for attacking women. Then the other one trapped me and hit me twice. He grabbed my ass and I cut his arm and sprayed him too. They’re probably still in a heap on the pavement. I kicked them in the balls pretty hard.”

Jughead’s hand stilled suddenly. “Did you call the police?”

Betty scoffed at his suggestion. “Yeah, and get arrested for assault? I don’t think so. You have to understand, Juggie. Everything is our fault. Even though they attacked me on my own territory, there are no witnesses, and I’m the heir to the Serpents. As far as they’re concerned, I’m a violent delinquent with a thirst for Northsider blood.”

Jughead shook his head and resumed cleaning the blood off her face. “I can’t believe that. It’s so prejudiced!” He seethed for another minute, before declaring he needed to go get a clean rag.

\---

Jughead was fuming. His girlfriend was sitting in the cramped bathroom of his trailer, dripping blood, and there was nothing anybody could do about it. He dug through the kitchen again, looking for another rag, and suddenly FP was standing behind him. 

“We need to talk, boy,” he growled. “I don’t want you seeing that girl. She brings trouble.”

Jughead turned to face his father, standing straighter than usual with a look of defiance on his face. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” FP repeated indignantly. “Look at her! She walks in here, covered in blood, claiming she got jumped!”

“Claiming? You mean you don't believe her?”

“Think about it, Jughead. She's the heir of the Serpents. You don't think there's even the slightest chance she instigated something?”

Jughead's eyes bulged at the accusation. “Of course not! I know her, dad. She would never do something like that.”

“You sure it's not because she's got you wrapped around her finger? Open your eyes, Jug!” FP's voice was beginning to raise, and Jughead was sure Betty could hear them from the bathroom

“Betty Cooper doesn't have a single manipulative bone in her body,” the younger man countered angrily, lowering his voice significantly. 

“She's trouble, Jug, I'm telling you. She's the heir to a gang. A fucking gang, boy, and I'll be damned if I let you get sucked into that world. It'll chew you up and spit you out!” He paused to gather his thoughts and calm his breathing before declaring with finality, “I mean it when I say I don't want you to see her anymore.”

Jughead sent his father a deadly glare at the authority in his voice. “You don’t get to dictate my life, dad. It’s bad enough you dragged me away from my sister. I won’t let you drag me from the girl I love.”

They both froze. Jughead hadn’t meant to let that piece of information slip. It was something he realized very recently, and had kept completely to himself, waiting for the right moment to tell Betty. 

“The girl you love, huh?” FP’s face softened a little, realizing how harsh his demand was. He let out a heavy sigh. “Have I told you recently how glad I am that you came here with me? You never hesitate to tell me when I’m out of line.”

“I’m sorry I threw Jellybean in your face,” Jughead apologized sheepishly. “Does this mean I’m not going to have to sneak around to see Betty?”

FP laughed. “No, you don’t have to sneak around. I’m glad you’re honest about that though. Now go back to her, she needs you.”

Jughead nodded and walked the short distance to the bathroom, realizing his father knew of his true feelings for Betty, but the girl herself did not. He really hoped she hadn’t overheard their argument.

“Hey, babe,” he said softly, wetting the new rag in the sink. Betty smiled gently at him, leaning her face so he could finish wiping the blood off. 

“I heard you arguing with your dad,” she said sheepishly. “Am I causing problems by being here? Because I can leave. I don’t want to create tension between you two.”

He smiled and took her hands in his, putting the rag in the sink. He had just finished wiping up the last of the blood, and he could see now that her nose was a little crooked. It was definitely broken. 

“Not at all, Betty.” He leaned in closer to her face, maintaining eye contact. Being so close made it feel so much more intimate, and there was no better time to tell her. “I love you,” Jughead whispered, just barely audible, before he could lose his nerve. 

Betty gasped, and her eyes searched his for affirmation. She must have found her answer, because a blissful smile graced her lips, and she spoke just as softly, “I love you, too, Jughead.”

A matching smile spread across his own face, and he touched his forehead to hers. “Really?” he breathed, his voice equal parts relieved and disbelieving. Instead of answering, Betty leaned up to capture his lips in hers. Their smiles made it almost impossible to keep up the kiss, until Jughead nipped at her bottom lip. She moaned into his mouth, and their kisses became more languid. Betty tried to press closer, but her aching nose protested. 

She pulled back with a pained groan, and Jughead immediately felt horrible. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he fretted. “I’ll go grab you some ice.”

Betty giggled at his urgency. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to relocate. It’s a little crowded in here.” He pulled her out of the bathroom, and she beelined to the freezer, pulling out a bag of frozen peas and breaking them apart against the bottom shelf. Jughead walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began kissing her neck, and she let out another melodious giggle. 

Jughead heard the telltale creak of the old couch, and stepped back before FP could spot them. “Ah, good you found the peas,” the older man said as he came into the room. “If you want, I could set your nose straight for you. I broke my nose a fair few times in high school.”

“That would be great, Mr. Jones,” Betty said shyly. “Thank you.” She dropped the peas from her face, and FP winced at the sight of it.

“That must have been quite the blow,” he said conversationally. 

“It really was,” she chuckled. “But I got them both worse.”

“Attagirl.” Jughead was surprised to see a proud grin on his father’s face as he took Betty’s nose between the tips of his fingers. He guided her nose gently back into place, and Betty sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. “I’m sorry sweetheart,” he soothed in the same gentle tone he used when Jellybean was hurt. When he moved back, her nose looked the same as it had before the fight, just more swollen. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Betty,” FP said suddenly, as if he hadn’t just fixed her broken nose. “I’m FP Jones, and please, call me FP.” He stuck his hand out, and Betty took it in hers. 

“Nice to meet you, FP,” she said with a smile. “I’m Betty Cooper.” Jughead knew his girlfriend had a firm handshake, but FP was surprised. He gave her an impressed look and shook his hand out for dramatic effect. 

“Well this was fun, but I need to get home before my mom starts to panic.” Betty seemed reluctant to leave, and Jughead’s heart glowed a little at the fact. FP excused himself back to the couch to give them privacy, and the moment he was out of sight, Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist. 

“I’m driving you home,” he declared, kissing her forehead. When she began to protest, he silenced her with a soft kiss. “You got jumped earlier, I’m not letting you walk home alone in the dark.” Betty sagged against him in defeat, and he hugged her tighter. They walked out to the old truck parked outside, and Jughead yelled something to his dad about the keys. 

It was a very short drive to her house, and Betty seemed surprised when he insisted on walking her to the door as well. If she wanted to protest, she didn’t and kissed him gently under the flickering porch light. 

“I love you,” she whispered, and butterflies erupted in Jughead’s stomach. He would never tire of hearing those words come out of her mouth. 

“I love you too, baby. Good night.” Betty slipped inside the house, and Jughead’s grin didn’t fade, even as he laid in bed an hour later, trying to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I always make the angsty shit happy? Bc that's how I am bitch lol   
> I can't believe there's only one more chapter wow you guys always make my writing process so much brighter, with your kind comments and encouraging words. Y'all mean so much to me :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is the last chapter oh my goshhhh guys you've all been so supportive and sweet, even though I KNOW this isn't my best work. I love every single one of youuuuu
> 
> Also, this is where the story gets its mature rating ;)

Jughead took a deep breath and tried to shake out the tension in his arms. He was about to complete the final step of Serpent initiation, running the gauntlet. The rest of initiation had more or less been a breeze. His dad wasn't happy when he came home to find Hot Dog taking up the entire couch with his lazy, furry body, but “the beast” was easy to care for. 

The Serpent Laws were easy to memorize and recite, and that piece of initiation was a cakewalk. Retrieving the knife from the snake's tank was nerve wracking, but he managed to nab it without getting hurt. But now his “brothers and sisters” were about to beat the crap out of him, including Betty. 

She told him earlier, just after he successfully retrieved the knife, that she would have to hit him especially hard, since otherwise people would think she was going easy on him. That's what Jughead was most nervous about. He knew Betty could pack a mean hit. After all, she took down two football players single handedly. But she had reassured him with a thorough kiss that he wouldn't be incapacitated in any way.

He took one final breath and walked over to the clearing, where everyone was lined up to take a swing at him. Jughead didn't hesitate before walking down the aisle, and the first punch that hit him in the stomach felt like a rock. But since he had to let every single person take a hit, he gritted his teeth and kept walking.

Blow after blow stole the air from his lungs, but he was determined to make it to the end. The first person to hit him in the face was Toni, and she smirked a little when she did. Jughead knew better than to take it too personally as he stumbled backwards from the force of it. After all, he was dating her best friend. 

At the end of the line stood Betty. She had a sad look in her eye as he drew closer, and he knew the last thing she wanted to do was hit him. But she was the heir to the throne, and as such, she had to deliver the final blow. Jughead dropped to his knees before her, half from exhaustion and half out of respect. Since she was the last to strike, she wore brass knuckles, and she was fighting tears as she cocked her arm. 

She pulled him up to his feet, and sank her fist into his stomach. He doubled over in agony, and collapsed to curl up on the ground. Betty immediately fell to her knees beside him and cupped his cheek gently. The crowd behind them was whooping and hollering, celebrating Jughead's new status as a Serpent as they tossed a leather jacket at him.

“Are you okay, baby? Is anything broken?” Her words rushed together in her urgency and she was seconds away from bursting into tears. 

Jughead sent her a lazy smile. “I'm just fine, Betts,” he grinned. “But I think a little kiss would make me feel better.”

“You're unbelievable,” she scoffed, but leaned down to kiss him anyway. She squealed in surprise when he took her mouth aggressively, pouring passion and hunger into the kiss. 

They pulled away, and Betty gasped for breath. Jughead had a smug little smile planted firmly on his face. “The Serpent Princess, come undone by my lips,” he teased, poking her in the side. 

“Shut up, _Smughead, _” she scoffed, pushing lightly at his shoulder. He laughed and rested his head back in the brittle grass.__

__“Hey, my dad is going to be gone all night. Do you want to come over?” The joking look on his face gave way to vulnerability, and Betty smiled and nodded._ _

__“Of course, Jug. Come on, let's get you home safe.” She pulled him up, and Jughead slipped his arms through the sleeves of the jacket. It was obviously somebody else's before him, since the leather was worn and soft, and the two headed snake on the back was different from the others’ logo._ _

__“Why does my logo match yours instead of everybody else's?” He grinned as Betty ducked her head a little and a light blush dusted her cheeks_ _

__“Because you're mine,” she stated simply. Jughead's smile grew brighter at her declaration and he had no objections to her claiming him._ _

__\---_ _

__They reached his trailer quickly, and Betty pushed him into the kitchen chair as soon as they were inside. She kissed his forehead lightly, and grabbed a rag from the drawer she remembered from when her nose got broken._ _

__She ran the rag under the sink and sat in the chair opposite Jughead. Bringing it to his face, she began to dab at the small cuts littered on his face._ _

__“Betty you don't have to-” he started, but she cut him off with a kiss._ _

__“You did the same thing for me, Juggie,” she soothed. “Except mine was a million times worse. Just let me care for you.”_ _

__Jughead sat back and let her tend to his minor wounds. When she wasn't expecting it, he licked her hand, causing her to groan in annoyance and give him a stern look. He grinned back at her and blew a kiss, causing a warm blush to spread on her cheeks._ _

__His satisfaction at her body's response was infuriating her, so she leaned in and kissed him hungrily. It was a much more fervent kiss than what they shared directly after the gauntlet, and soon, Betty climbed into his lap. She moaned at the hardness she felt and grinded against him a little. This far in their relationship, there had been a little fooling around, but it was mostly exploratory touching, and Betty was more than ready to get down and dirty with her boyfriend._ _

__Jughead pulled back after a minute or so, and she moved to kiss at his neck._ _

__“I need a shower,” he sighed as she suckled behind his ear. “I'm covered in dirt and sweat and probably more blood.” Betty moved to kiss his lips again, but he leaned back so she couldn't reach. “I'm serious, Betty. I'm disgusting.”_ _

__Betty smiled at the humor in his eyes and rolled her hips against his one last time before climbing off him._ _

__“There's room for two,” he teased, only half joking. His face looked mildly hopeful at the prospect of showering together._ _

__She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Go shower, Juggie,” she said in an exasperated tone, and smacked his butt when he walked past her, making him yelp in surprise._ _

__Betty waited on his bed, listening the sound of water came from the bathroom, and she paused to reflect on the day's events. Jughead had taken care of the “family’s” sheepdog for a week, recited the Serpent Laws, stuck his hand in a rattlesnake’s cage, and taken well over twenty punches, all to be closer to her._ _

__It was overwhelming and comforting and terrifying all at once, but Betty knew he was plenty smart enough to make his own decisions, and she just needed to support him in them._ _

__Jughead wandered into his room, and smiled when he saw her sitting on his bed. He was clad only in a pair of clean boxers, and his skin was still damp from the shower. Betty tried not to lose her train of thought as she watched a droplet of water slide down his deliciously toned chest_ _

__“What are you thinking about, beautiful?” He asked, sitting beside her and cupping her cheek. He kissed the tip of her nose and she let out a little giggle._ _

__“Just how you changed your entire life for me, and possibly threw away your future,” she sighed, trying her best to convey all the heartfelt emotions coursing through her._ _

__“Betty,” he breathed, and she looked into his stormy blue eyes. She was shocked to see them filling with tears. “You _are _my future. I know it hasn't been long at all, but I've never been so sure about anything. I just know that you and I are it.”___ _

____Tears had escaped both of their eyes, and Betty sniffled as she brought her thumb to wipe his away. Jughead did the same, and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face._ _ _ _

____“Jughead Jones,” she sighed, shaking her head a little. “I love you.” She brought her lips to his and kissed him slow and sweet, savoring the beautiful moment between them._ _ _ _

____Jughead's hands found purchase on her hips, and he slipped them under the hem of her shirt. His thumbs made soft circles on the sides of her stomach, and she smiled against his mouth. Their kisses became more urgent and heated as his hands moved upwards to her ribcage, and then down again to her lower back._ _ _ _

____He hauled her into him, and they fell backwards on the mattress, Betty hovering above him. They smiled goofily at each other and Betty said, “I want you, Juggie. Tonight.”_ _ _ _

____Jughead groaned sensually and his eyes rolled backward. He suddenly flipped them over, so he was hovering above her, and began assaulting her neck with bites and kisses. His hands found their way under her shirt again, and he broke away to give her a questioning look. Betty sat up and lifted her arms above her head, and Jughead pulled her shirt slowly up over her body, taking great care to run his warm hands over every last inch of bare skin he could reach_ _ _ _

____When he finally pulled it off and flung it across the room, Betty was a panting mess. She crashed her mouth into his in a bruising kiss, and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. The straps slithered down her arms and she pulled them out, letting the garment fall into her lap. She tossed it aside as well, and Jughead stopped to admire her half naked figure, before pinning her to the mattress._ _ _ _

____“You're mine,” he growled, bringing one hand to grope her breast heavily._ _ _ _

____“Yes, yours,” she panted as she clung to his back, relishing the feeling of their bare chests against each other._ _ _ _

____He pulled himself up onto his knees, and fumbled with the button of her jeans. Pulling them down, he groaned again when he saw the wet patch forming on her panties. Betty opened her legs wide, allowing him a better look, and once her jeans were discarded, he tugged them down as well._ _ _ _

____He made slow work of coming back up the bed. He skimmed his nose and open lips up the inside of her thigh, occasionally flicking his tongue out to tease the soft skin, and Betty let out a low moan at the sweet torture._ _ _ _

____When he reached the apex of her thighs, he paused and lifted his head, making eye contact with her._ _ _ _

____“Can I eat you out?” He asked shyly. “It’s something I've been wanting to do for a while now.”_ _ _ _

____Betty's eyes went wide at the desire in his voice. Her torso went limp at the thought of him thinking about that, and her head rested comfortably against the pillow. She let out a low moan and lifted her hips in encouragement._ _ _ _

____He must have gotten the message, because she felt his tongue probing at her center seconds later. His first, tentative lick had her squirming on the bed as he found her clit impressively fast and circled around it. He gave a small kitten lick, and slipped a finger inside her entrance. She felt him moan against her skin when he found how tight she was._ _ _ _

____The slight vibration caused her hips to buck involuntarily, and Jughead flattened his free hand against her stomach, holding her down. He continued licking and kissing her clit, while thrusting his fingers in and out, and Betty was getting close. She saw the stars everyone talked about when he crooked his finger, and her legs began to shake._ _ _ _

____“Juggie, I'm close,” she panted, her breathing becoming more labored as she neared her climax. “Oh, god!” She cried, her back arching and her legs going stiff as she came on his hot tongue._ _ _ _

____She fully expected Jughead to crawl back up her body and pull on a condom, but he remained with his head between her thighs, still licking and sucking. The prolonged stimulation tipped her over the edge pretty quickly, and she came again, this time crying out his name. She laid back on the mattress, completely boneless. Jughead seemed to be going for a third orgasm on her part, so she tapped his shoulder, signalling for him to stop._ _ _ _

____He moved back up the bed and smiled at her. “Was it good?” He asked shyly. “I've never done that before.”_ _ _ _

____Betty laughed weakly and brushed his hair back from his forehead. “That was incredible, Juggie,” she whispered. When she reached up to kiss him, she tasted herself on his lips. It was unfamiliar and exciting, and she deepened it right away._ _ _ _

____Jughead kissed her eagerly, and when he pressed his hips against hers, she could feel his erection, long and hard. They moaned into each other's mouths at the contact, and Jughead fumbled blindly through his drawer for a condom._ _ _ _

____“Never used one of these before,” he said softly. “You're my first everything, Betty. I need you to know that.”_ _ _ _

____“You're mine too, Juggie,” she whispered back. “Now make love to me.”_ _ _ _

____Jughead wasted no time in ripping open the wrapper and rolling the condom onto his hard length. He probed gently at her entrance, before slipping in. It was a bit of a stretch for Betty, and it definitely burned a little, but it wasn't the searing pain girls were warned against, and she was grateful for that._ _ _ _

____It only took a few slow thrusts for the pain to give way to pleasure, and Betty wrapped her legs around Jughead's back to take him deeper. Their pants and moans and sighs got lost between them as their breath intermingled._ _ _ _

____“Betty, I'm close,” Jughead confessed after a few minutes. Betty brought her hand down to circle her clit in response, but he shooed her away and replaced her hand with his. He rubbed tight, fast circles against her skin, and soon she was gasping desperately._ _ _ _

____“Juggie I'm coming, oh god, I'm coming,” she moaned frantically. She tightened around him and threw her head back in ecstasy as her third orgasm of the night rippled through her body in strong waves. Jughead kept going until she had gone limp beneath him again, and released into the condom with a forceful grunt._ _ _ _

____He collapsed on top of her and rolled to the side, taking her with him. As they basked in the afterglow of their love making, Betty couldn't stop playing with his hair. She brushed it back from his face and twirled it between her fingers, then gave it an experimental tug. Jughead's eyelids fluttered shit and he let out a small groan._ _ _ _

____Betty removed her legs from around his waist and pulled away from him gently. “Juggie, do you have a hair pulling kink?” She asked humorously, but not making fun of him._ _ _ _

____“Maybe a little bit,” he replied sheepishly, blushing pink._ _ _ _

____She gave his dark tresses another little tug and said coyly, “I'll have to remember that.”_ _ _ _

____Jughead chuckled lightly and moved to take off the condom and drop it in the tiny trash basket next to the bed. Betty excused herself to the bathroom and wrapped herself in a sheet before leaving the room, just in case. She peed, having read many times that girls should always, always pee after sex, and cleaned herself up as best she could. She swirled some mouthwash around and tried to adjust her sex-mussed hair, but with no success._ _ _ _

____When she made it back to Jughead's room, he was still laying down in the same position. She dropped the thin top sheet on the floor and crawled under the comforter to snuggle against him._ _ _ _

____“Is it okay if I stay the night?” She asked softly._ _ _ _

____“Of course,” he answered, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “You're always welcome here.”_ _ _ _

____“Mmm, thanks Juggie,” she murmured thickly, trying to fight off sleep. “Love you.” She thought she vaguely heard the sentiment being returned, but she was already asleep, safe and warm in Jughead's arms, exactly where she belonged._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the ending is really open bc I couldn't think of what to write for one more chapter. I personally think they ran away to college and never came back, but they also could have become the Serpent power couple and turned the gang around to make it respectable. It's all up to interpretation :)


End file.
